Journal-bearing and compressor provided therewith



B. S. McCLELLAN.

JOURNAL BEARING AND commsssoa PROVIDED THEREWITH. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2 I918.

1,320,703, Patented Nov. 4, 1919.,

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' FT'] j 7 J V I [)2 rezzfar' 31M A ay mg fine UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4 BENJ' AMIN: S; MGCLELLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

JOURNA'Q-BE ARING AN D COMPRESSOR PROVIDED THEREWITH.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S MoCLEL- my, 'a citizen'of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Journal-Bearings and Compressors Provided Therewith, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to journal bearings which are adapted to be lubricated, and

which are provided with means for preventmg the escape of ammon1a.or a volatlle orcompressible fluid from a crank casing or chamber of a compressor or device in connection with which such bearings are to be used.

The principal object of the invention is to provid -a simple, economical .and efiicient Journal bearing adapted to be lu'bricated in an eflicient manner andadapted to form a support for a shaft or journal,such, for instance, as the crank-shaft of a compressor "having acrank chamber or casing containing ammonia or volatile or compressible fluid, and provided with means for retaining or preventing the escape of such fluid without tighteningthe bearing' orpacking so as to cause unnecessary or avoidable friction; 7

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from an examination of the following description and claims, andfrom an inspection of the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this specification. The invention consists in the features, combinations, details of construction and parts herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a new in central vertical section of a crank casing and ournal bearing mecha-nlsm ofa compressor, constructedin accordance with my invention and improvements, with the piston mechanism, piston cylinder or compression chamber, and other parts of the con'ipresscr broken away or omitted, and with parts of the compressor shown 'in elevation. a

Fig. 2, an enlarged detail'view in central vertical section, of my improved jpurnal bearing, showing the 'same with a crank shaft journaled therein, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 3, a view in transverse vertical sec-. tion, taken on 111103, 3, of Fig. 1,

looking arrows, and

in the direction indicated by the ill-900M011 the separator ring which showing Specification of Letters Ifatent.

is interposed otween the journal or shaft and thebody of the packing box, and in contact with the packing.

In constructing a compressor provided with a crank casing or ell-amber and journal bearing mechanism made in accordance with my inventionand improvements, I provide a compressor 1 having a main frame 2 and a base 3, and-pistonmechanism and a piston cylinder or compression chamber having ammonia inlet and outlet passages or conduits adapted to communicate with compression and expansion and refrigerating coils of a refrigerating apparatus, all of which may be of'any desired ordinary and well known form, and which it is therefore deemed unnecessary and undesirable to describe in detail herein.

The compressor is provided with a crank case having end walls 4 and 5, and side walls 6 and 7 all forming a crank chamber or drank and piston chamber 8 into or through which extends a crank shaft 9. The crank shaft hascr'ank arms 10which are located in the crank chamber or casing, and are connected by means of a wrist pin 11. A itman'12 is operatively connec-ted-afit s ottom extremity with the-wrist pin in any desired suitable or ordlnarv and well known manner, and is (mmect-ed at its upper end with a istonnot show n-for compressing ammonia or Volatile refrigerating fluid in the piston c \,"l .nder or beriif the com prcssor.

T-he crank shaft 9 has'an .e'nd journal portion 13 journzeicd in a journal bearing member 14 which as an annular flange or plate 15 mounted ior forming a part of the end wall 4 of the crank casing. This journal bearing'member comprising the parts 14 and 15, serves toentirelyclose the opening in -the end wall 4 of the crank chamber, and is secured ini'pesition by means of bolts 17 and nuts 18 or similar suitable securing ineans. Y

A suitable 21g or bushing 19,- which ma be made or Babbitt or other suitable material is interposed between the journal 13 and the annular sleeveor bearing portion '14.; and an oil receptacle'or pocket is formed in the inner side of the member 15 and over the part 14. This oil receptacle or pocket 20 has an upright'inher side Wall 21; and the bottom of the pockct-is-formed by'th'e part 1%, alreadydescribed. An oil hole in the sleeve poi-tic Patented Nov. 4, 1919. Application filed November ;5, 1918. Serial No. 263,976.

14 communicates with a similar opening 23 in the Babbitt metal sleeve or bushing 19 and 15 adapted. to conduct lubricating oil through the latter and into position to lubricate the journal 13 and its hearing. The 5-..mouth of the oil pocket 20 is open in the mechanism. The'crank chamber is filled with oil up to a point which will chase the crank to extend into the oil during at least a part of each revolution of the crank shaft. The crank chamber is, by preference, filled with lubricating oil up to approximatel the level of the axial center of the crank s aft;

' The normal position of the top surface of the oil is indicated by; the broken line 24 in Fig. 1. v Y My improved journal-bearing 25 is constructed as follows: A bearing 'head or plate 26, which is, by preference,- in the form of an annular or circular flange, plate or head, is mounted in position to cose the. opening 27 in the end wall 5 of thecrank chamber or casin The bearing head or plate 26 is secured inposition by means of bolts 28 and'nuts 29, or by similar suitable securing means, and is providcdwith a central hollow bearing box or sleeve? portion 30 in which is mounted a Babbitt metal "bushing or hearing sleeve 31 having-an oil opening 32 in its upper-side which commun1- cates-with an oil passage 33, in the bearing box or hollow-inner journal part 30. The part 30 forms the bottom of an oil pocket or receptacle 34. which is formed in the inner side of the bearing head or plate 26 directly over the oentml hollow. ournal bearing box'or sleeve 30. This oil pocket or reservoir 34 has aninner side wall 35 which is adjacent to the corresponding.

crank arm 10, and of such a height as to enable lubricating oil carried up. by the.

crank and pitman mechanism to be thrown, splashed or caused to pass into the oil pocket or oil reservoir 34, for lubricatingthe journal 36 of the shaft 9, and its journal bearing.

The journal bearin head 26 .is/provided with a hollow outwar ly projecting packing box orstuffing box 37 integral with the part 26 and having an axial bore which en- 'circles the shaft 9, said shaft, Whenjoun naled in'the central hollow journal box or part 30, being concentric with the bore. An inner: annular flange 38 encircles the journal 36 of the shaft 9 and is located between the inner hollow bearing box part 30 and babbitt bushing or bearing sleeve 31 and the relatively large axial bore 37' of packing box 37.

Aring 39, which 1s made, by preference,

of'metal, is interposed between the shaft 9 and the inner wall of the pacing box 37. The inner diameter of this ring is such that it fits in sliding engagement with and is adapted to permit the rotation of the shaft 9, which it encircles; and the ring is provided with an inner annular oil space which is, by preference, in the form of an annular grove 40 located between opposite, preferably connected or integral inner flange or ring portions 41, 41. The ring is also provided with a suitable number of apertures or passe cs 42 each of which leads outward radially rorn the inner annular oil groove 40, and communicates with an outer.

annular or peripheral groove i2, which, in turn, communicates with an oil supply passageilin the pa'ioking box wall. is passage 44 communicates at one extremity with the oil reservoiror pocket 34, and at its opposite extremity, with the upper part or top of the grooved portion of'the separating ring 39. Interposed between the ring 39 and the inner annular flange 38 is a; suitable packing, preferably in the form of a packjmg ring or rings45 .of compresm'ble pack-- ing material,' such, forinstance, as what is commonly known as asbestos packing. Simor similar retaining device is mounted in position to'encilcle the shaft and engage the packing material for rings of=eompres-.

sible packing material 46, and to press and holdthe rings of compressiblepaeking material in tight engagement-with the ring 39,

both sides of which are thus adapted to be held in tight snugly-fitting-engageinent with material located on compressible packl opposite sides of'sai The gland 47 may be of anydesired Q wars-assist.- y

ordinary and well known'fo'rln of packing gland, and is adapted to be pressed into'and held in operative position by any desired ordinary and well known means, such, for instance, as an ordinary cap -or cap nut which may be of any desired ordinary and well known form, and is, therefore not shown, or'by similar or' equivalent ordinary and well known securing means mounted 1n posltion to engage and press the gland inward. It is well known to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates that ammonia or volatile refrigerating. fluid in gaseous formescapes from the piston chamber or compressor chamber intothe crankcasing of the compressor, when such. compressor,

-forming a part of;a refrigerator system,

is in operation, and that great difficulty is experienced, and it has in fact been found to be practically impossible by use of any means known to the art or in use, to prevent the escape of volatile fluid or ammonia from the crank casing or chamber while a compressor 1s 1n operation, without fight/6H1 ing the packing around the crank shaft so structed as above described, is adapted to cause an annular film or ring of lubricating oil to form in the annular groove 40 in' the separator ring 39,a'nd also in the outer annular groove 4:3 in said ring. The oil in the inner groove being in contact with and in position to encircle the shaft, and the oil in the outelfgroovebeing in contact with the inner surface of the packing box 37, and the oil in both'grooves, as well as any other liquid contained in said grooves being-free to pass from one tothe other of the grooves,

and the rooves being connected by the in-- tervening passage 42, and in position to receive oil from the passage l4 and to permit the escape of ammonia gas or volatile fluid, which is lighter than oil, from said grooves into the passage' la, so as to return through said passage into the crank casing or chamber, it is plain that any ammonia or volatile fluid which may reach or enter either of the oil grooves 40 or 43 will there rise through the oil and pass upward into the passage 44 and into the crank casing, and will thus be retained in the crank casing or chamber and prevented from passing out along with the lubricating oil. The returning of the ammonia or volatile refrigerating fluid to the crank chamber or casing is thus accomplished in a simple and eificient manner and without the necessity of tightening the packing to such an extent as to interfere with the rotation of the shaft or to cause unnecessary or avoidable friction.

The ring 39, with its inner and outer circumferential channels or annular grooves filled with lubricating oil forms a liquid seal. The oil-filled channels 40 and 43 are adapted to communicate with and to permit the passage of ammonia or volatile fluid into the passage 44 and through said passage into the oil receptacle or reservoir 34 and into the c ank casing or chamber 8 which contains ammonia or volatile refrigcn ating fluid underpressure when the apparatus is in operation. The passage 44- thus torms a vent or return passage for permitting"v any ammonia which may reach the ring 39 or the oil-containing channels 40 and 43. or either of them, to pass upward through the oil and through said passage a' -t to the crank chamber 8. in whatever position the ring 39 mav happen to be placed so long as" the channel 23 is in position to communicate withthe passage 44. in other words, the

ring may be turned upon its axis to any ex tent while being placed in position, or may be accidentally partially rotated after being placed in operative osition without shutting off the commumeation between the inner oil channel 40-and the passage 44; and the ring being in snug engagement with the packing and with the oil channels adapted to communicate with the passage il-l, co-acts with the passage 4a and Oil reservoir 34 and with the packing in trapping or separating the ammonia or compressible refrigerating fluid from the lubricating oil, and in preventing the escape of ammonia. I prefer to make the ring 39 in one piece rather than to make it in a plurality of i'eces or in sections or in the form of a s lit ring; and I prefer to have the ring located between rings of packing material rather than to omit the rings 45 which are located between the ring and the inner flange or bearing part 38. I also prefer to have the walls of the channels 40 and %3 formed or both sides of the channels by ring portio..=.s rather than to have one wall of the channel formed by a part of the box body or by a separate packing ring mounted in position to provide an oil channel between such packing ring and the metallic ring. The annular channels 40 and 43 thus form an oil sealed chamber, and said channels, together with the passage 44, form an oii-sealed conduit which communicates with the oil chamber34 and with theinterior of the crank case, acting to conduct compressible fluid through the oil,to, the interior of the oil chamber 34 and the crank case, as already suggested. j

I claim: I I 1. In a device of the class described, a. journal bearing adapted to support a crank shaft in position toextend into a crank casing containing compressible fluid, an oil chamlber located in position to communicate with the interior of the crank casing and adapted to contain oil for lubricating the journal bearing, means forming an annular oil channel adapted to encircle the shaft, for holding oil in contact with the surface of the shaft throughout its entirecircumference. means for holding packing material in position to encircle and engage the periphcry of the shaft outside of the annular oil .--iiuie i Q'Ofli-iil cinnniier and is cuiiiuiii vi; 6501' lubricating; the, Ti 11;: nmunieri in posiiieu n iul ifizkiifi the i iaft a-ini fi'irininn' an annu- 2; Fur if 'nmnei adapted m iiOiii'iiii in con" 1 viiii iiu: surface of file siui'i't tin-Qu nn nut it untii-u circuin fureuce, means for iioidmp: nn-king: in pusibion to engage the pez-iuiini'y of the shaft uuiside of the annular nil ununnul furn'ied by aid ring, and a pasw g-a min miniifriiing with the annular oii iinnul uni-i \i'i i the interim" 01" the compresiX-i'illiCi-QOHLQE? iing cliain'ber 01 conductcmnprcssiiiic iiu i under pressure from oil u: and t the iniei'ior 0f 1i. wmpi'e ihiefluid-containing chamber. iiiev w of the class described, a j0uri support 2i crank shaft .iuncl into a casing previiileci (iiilil'bfil am-aired in pesition to iln the interior of gush 00inmntziining Qiinmber, means Jii ciuinnei adapted to holding; Oii in. contact the Sim t throughout its iv e, a packing box, means Jiii ,im. ,ZHlzlitii'ifii in the packing DC-Zi' in posiimn t0 PfMfiPCik! and engage the 9310:"); of the shaft nuiside (if the unnu- 2 in oil passage leading kl \Jii iflillilliifii' is said 2H1Z'1'L'l-i;l1'-Oli zuui for 11g an nil-sanded iconciuit .ii in comiuc; cninpressi'iiie fluid i (iii mniziiiied in said passage $0 the (if suiil Oii chamber. in u {Eu-vice of the 011153 descri-bed, & iai bearing inizipied to suppm't crank in position to iixiend inio :1 casing iiiilifitl \Y'iiil u Qlnunbez' containing" con- 11 fluid :i packing box :1 ring; mountitin; inn-king in; in position to encircle inn- 1 and piuvideci with an annular 0i hinted to held ()ii in mutant with an outer zgnnuiu oil channel in unlier cuntuining compressible affording communication between said annular oil channels, an oil chamber located in position in communicate with the interior of said coinpiesu' i -i'iuiricontaining uiiuniliei; iiniii providui iii an oil passage leading from said oil cliziznbei' to said outer annular nil channel, said pas sage and annular ciiunneis fol'i'ning an uiisealed conduit adapted in conduct compressibie fiuiii from the (iii-containing annular passages into said oii chamber, and means fur holding packingn'iat eriul in the packing box in pesition to encii'cie the shaft on the outside at and in Contact with said ring.

in a device of t-iiewiass described iiIG combiniitinn of, a COHIPEESSUI having ii crank casing fuiming a Lilijl'iijm adapted to cuntziin compressible fluid under pressure, a joui'nai iiezizing secured be fine casing and adapted to support a crank shaftin position in extend into the cmnpi'eissiblefiuni-cammining chamber, an (iii ciiun'iliar heated in position in communicate with the iIiiQliOl, 0'5 the cmnpi'essi'biefiuiiicontaining chamber, 1; packing bun, a ring mounted in the packing box and provided with an oil channel Miami ed (0 encircle the shaft for holding nii in cnntzict. with. the 01" the shaft said Tia menus surfu ca throughout its entire circumference, in (iii {manage-leading from said itians i oil chu ibei' to suiii :muft-exiciruiin if. shun-- ml, said passage and ciinnnei forming ()ll'SOiiiBii cmiduitadapted in Conduct c0121 pi'essible fluid from the Elm- QiHiiltJ-iiilQf channel to the (mI)i'GSSibiG-iiUA(i-6i)ni;2til1ii1g ciiumli-ei um-ml liy the crank case, and means for holding packing material in the packing box in position to encircle the shaftand in contact with Sniii ring.

Signed at Chicago, lilinois this of November, 1918.

, BENJAMIN S. MCCLELLAN. Witne Dunn H. FLETCHER,

HARRY I. Ciioii'nu.

21st day 

